System for preserving a liquid substance in a flexible container

ABSTRACT

A system for conserving a liquid substance (L) in a flexible receptacle ( 1 ), the substance being liable to be degraded and/or contaminated on contact with ambient air. The system includes a solid insert ( 3 ) whose outer envelope substantially matches the inside shape of the receptacle ( 1 ) in which the insert is immersed at least in part. The insert has bactericidal and/or chemical, especially antioxidant, activity and provides protective treatment by making contact with substance (L) over a large interchange area.

The present invention relates to a system for conserving a liquidsubstance in a flexible receptacle.

More precisely, the invention relates to a substance that is liable todegrade chemically and/or become bacteriologically contaminated oncontact with ambient air. Such substances are to be found in particularin the fields of food and of pharmaceuticals.

Until now, such substances have been protected by including preservativeagents therewith, which agents are generally soluble and are thereforeabsorbed by the consumer at the same time as said substance.

Unfortunately, such preservatives can have harmful effects on theorganism, and for example they can lead to metabolic troubles.

In addition, associating a plurality of different soluble agents canlead to chemical interactions of a kind that can spoil the liquidsubstance (deactivate it, discolor it, . . . ) or else neutralize orattenuate the effects of the agents because of mutual incompatibilities.

An object of the present invention is to solve those technical problemin satisfactory manner.

According to the invention, this object is achieved by means of a systemfor conserving a liquid substance in a flexible receptacle, saidsubstance being liable to be degraded and/or contaminated on contactwith ambient air,

the system being characterized in that it comprises a solid insert whoseouter envelope substantially matches the inside shape of the receptaclein which the insert is immersed at least in part, said insert providingprotective treatment by making contact with said substance over a largeinterchange area.

In a first embodiment, the insert is elastically deformable and itsvolume is substantially equal to the inside volume of the receptacle.

In a second embodiment, the insert is rigid, and its volume isdetermined as a function of the inside volume of the receptacle in sucha manner as to limit compression of the receptacle and thus limit thesize of the dose of substance that can be dispensed.

According to an advantageous characteristic, the geometry of the insertis determined so as to leave at least one preferred zone for deformationof the wall of the receptacle.

In a specific variant, said preferred zone for deformation isconstituted by a peripheral groove formed substantially halfway alongthe insert and of dimensions that are appropriate for being held in thehand.

According to another characteristic, the insert is made out of amaterial that, on coming into contact with the substance, presentsaction that is bactericidal and/or chemical, in particular antioxidant.

According to yet another characteristic, said insert is made of a porousor spongy material capable of being impregnated by the liquid substance.

Preferably, the porosity of the material constituting the insert lies inthe range 40% to 60%, and its pore diameter lies in the range 5 μm to 60μm.

In a first variant, said insert is made as a single piece.

In another variant, said insert is made in the form of a filling of aplurality of pieces.

Preferably, the outer envelope of the insert substantially matches theinside shape of the receptacle.

The system of the invention makes it possible to preserve the intrinsicqualities and properties of the liquid substance since there is no needto mix it with preservative agents.

The insert performs its protective treatment by coming into contact withthe liquid substance. The large volume of the insert, and in particularits internal cellular structure, makes it possible to increase theinterchange surface area, and consequently-to increase the effectivenessand the lifetime of the protective treatment.

In addition, the insert of the invention participates in measuring outthe liquid substance by forming an internal stiffener element whosecapacity for deformation is less than that of the wall of the flexiblereceptacle.

The invention will be better understood on reading the followingdescription and the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGS. 1A and 1B are diagrammatic section views of a first embodiment ofthe invention respectively in its rest position and in its dispensingposition;

FIGS. 2A and 2B are diagrammatic section views of a second embodiment ofthe invention respectively in its rest position and in its dispensingposition; and

FIGS. 3A and 3B are diagrammatic section views of a third embodiment ofthe invention respectively in its rest position and in its dispensingposition.

The system shown in the figures is designed to conserve a liquidsubstance L contained in a flexible receptacle 1 fitted with a dispensermember such as an endpiece or a nozzle 2.

The substance L is more particularly a substance that, on coming intocontact with ambient air, is liable to spoil or to be chemicallydegraded (e.g. by oxidation) and/or to be contaminatedbacteriologically.

By way of example, such substances can be pharmaceuticals.

To preserve such substances from any spoiling, degradation, orcontamination, the invention provides for placing an insert 3 inside thereceptacle to perform protective treatment.

The insert 3 is a solid element that is immersed at least in part in thesubstance, inside the receptacle 1.

The insert 3 is preferably made using a material hat has cavities orcells of small dimensions into which the substance L penetrates.

The insert 3 is then impregnated with the substance, which means thateach of its internal cavities contains a fraction thereof. The totalsurface area of the walls of the cavities in contact with the liquidsubstance L is thus vast.

For this purpose, the porosity of the insert 3 is preferably determinedso that its empty volume fraction lies in the range 40% to 60% and itspore diameter lies in the range 5 μm to 60 μm.

The matter constituting the insert 3 possess bactericidal and/orchemical properties, in particular anti-oxidizing properties, that acton making contact with the substance L. It is thus possible to providefor the material to act as a reagent or as a modifying agent withrespect to the liquid substance L for a determined purpose.

The insert 3 can be made as a single piece of porous, spongy, orcellular material, as shown in the figures, or as a plurality of piecesin the form of a filling using beads, plates, granules, cloth, etc.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 1A and 1B, the insert 3 is rigid and itsvolume is previously determined as a function of the inside volume ofthe receptacle so as to limit elastic deformation thereof.

More precisely, compressing the size of the flexible receptacle 1 bringsthe internal side surfaces of its walls 1 a, 1 b into abutment againstthe rigid insert 3. The outer envelope of the insert 3 is of a shapethat substantially matches the inside shape of the receptacle 1. Theamplitude A of possible deformation corresponds to a determined volumeof substance L being expelled, and thus constitutes a unit dose.

When the walls 1 a, 1 b of the receptacle are released, a volume V ofair is sucked into the receptacle which then returns to its initialshape.

The receptacle 1 is preferably made in two parts, e.g. an end wall 10that is designed to be assembled to a cylinder 11 after the insert 3 hasbeen inserted therein.

The insert 3 is free to move inside the receptacle, and in order toensure that it does not impede delivery of the substance, provision ismade to ensure that the insert 3 cannot block the neck 12 while thesubstance L is being dispensed with the nozzle pointing downwards.

By way of example, this disposition can be obtained by providingshoulders in the receptacle including lateral passages for thesubstance.

The porosity of the insert also gives it sufficient buoyancy to remainin suspension in the liquid L.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 2A and 2B, the insert 3 is still rigid, butits geometry is specifically selected to create at least one preferredzone for deformation of the wall of the receptacle 1.

In this case, this zone is constituted by a peripheral groove 30 formedsubstantially halfway along insert 3.

The inside volume of the peripheral groove 30 correspond substantiallyto one dose of substance.

The dimensions of the envelope around the insert 3 are smaller than theinside dimensions of the receptacle 1, at least laterally, so as toleave clearance J between them.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 3A and 3B, the insert 3 is elasticallydeformable.

Its volume is substantially equal to the inside volume of the flexiblereceptacle 1 such that the volume of residual air between the insert 3and the wall of the receptacle is very small.

In contrast, a fraction of air is included in the cavities of the spongymaterial.

The material constituting the insert is spongy. Thus, when the sidewalls of the receptacle are compressed (FIG. 3B), the insert 3 is alsocompressed, thereby expelling a fraction of the liquid L from theinternal cavities of the insert.

Releasing the receptacle causes an air fraction to be sucked in andabsorbed by the spongy matter.

Under such circumstances, there is no limit on the deformation of thereceptacle, so dosage needs to be estimated by the user.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for conserving a liquid substance (L) ina flexible receptacle (1), said substance being liable to be degradedand/or contaminated on contact with ambient air, the system beingcharacterized in that it comprises a solid insert (3) whose outer shapesubstantially matches the inside shape of the receptacle (1) in whichthe insert is immersed at least in part, said insert providingprotective treatment by making contact with said substance (L) over alarge interchange area and wherein the insert is free to move inside thereceptacle; wherein the insert (3) is rigid, and has a volume which isdetermined as a function of the inside volume of the receptacle (1) insuch a manner as to limit compression of the receptacle and thus limitthe size of the dose of substance (L) that can be dispensed; and theinsert (3) is made out of a material that, on coming into contact withthe substance (L), presents action that is bactericidal and/or chemical.2. A system according to claim 1, characterized in that the geometry ofthe insert (3) is determined so as to leave at least one preferred zonefor deformation of the wall (1 a, 1 b) of the receptacle (1).
 3. Asystem according to claim 2, characterized in that said preferred zonefor deformation is constituted by a peripheral groove (30) formedsubstantially halfway along the insert (3) and of dimensions that areappropriate for being held in the hand.
 4. A system according to claim1, characterized in that said insert (3) is made of a porous or spongymaterial capable of being impregnated by the liquid substance (L).
 5. Asystem according to claim 4, characterized in that the porosity of thematerial constituting the insert lies in the range 40% to 60%, and itspore diameter lies in the range 5 μm to 60 μm.
 6. A system according toclaim 1, characterized in that said insert (3) is made as a singlepiece.
 7. A system according to claim 1, characterized in that saidinsert (3) is made in the form of a filling of a plurality of pieces.